Comment EI-12462
Received or sent (printed as 9/23/2008)
This is in reference to: STB Finance Docket No. 35087 Dear Ms. Johnson-Ball, I know that you have received numerous statements on behalf of the CN rail acquisition of EJ&E. As an educated woman, a concerned citizen and as a mother, I'm quite baffled that concerns of a foreign, for profit, company may take precedence over the financial health, development and safety of our communities throughout Illinois and the United States. After a thorough review of the DEIS, it is quite evident that many financial, safety, and community development and planning timelines were not covered well. Even of those that were covered, it discusses the key community areas that will be severely and devastatingly affected in regards to safety and financial impacts. These alone warrant about $50-60 million dollars each to be made whole. This does not take into consideration the timetable of 5-10 years to actually get the urban planning to catch up to these necessary changes. Yet, these communities have no direct benefit to receive as a result of the purchase. Additionally, there are areas in Chicago (where I recently moved from), that say they may see and receive a benefit from this deal. These areas that will receive direct benefit, in Chicago, should also then be the areas to have to pay for the costs of mitigation. It seems quite simple, that in this politically charged election year, where the rights, concerns, financial security, homeland security, and environmental and safety of U.S. citizens are compromised, the answer should be as simple. It should be hands-down, no contest, and No DEAL to a foreign company, like Canadian National, that has a horrible safety record and clearly has taken quite an insulting presumption, that their $40 million, would cover everything and that U.S. lives and U.S. local, state, and federal taxes should foot the additional $150 million dollar bill, and not to mention the greatest cost of all - the homelives and safety of our citizens and families. I urge you to do the RIGHT thing for our communities and say NO to Canadian National Thank You, Maureen Merkel, Jim Merkel, and our daughters Alexandra and Alaina
Submitted by: Maureen Merkel · Hawthorn Woods, IL
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35087/comment/EI-12462 · back to the docket sheet